Bjp councillors protest against mayor in Ludhiana and announce gherao of MC offices.
The councillors, joined by members of the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, have vowed to gherao all MC zonal offices from Monday if the mayor does not apologise. The standoff marks a rare instance of cross-party unity, with opposition leaders accusing the mayor of undermining elected representatives and marginalising BJP-held wards. "This is not about personal agendas," said BJP district president Rajnesh Dhiman.
"All councillors are elected by the people and deserve equal respect. The mayor cannot treat them like second-class members."
Mayor Inderjit Kaur, however, rejected the accusations and refused to apologise. She alleged that the BJP councillors had arrived at the meeting intent on confrontation and begun shouting when they had no substantial issues to raise. "Security was only called after they created a ruckus," she said.
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"This is not about governance — this is about male councillors unable to accept a woman in charge."
She also claimed that a BJP councillor had praised her leadership privately but was now toeing the party line publicly. "They came with a motive to provoke," she said, maintaining that she was not at fault. Party insiders say the row may be fuelled by BJP's internal politics ahead of the district president's election, with hopefuls using the standoff to project their leadership.
With state elections on the horizon, some see the protest as a strategic move to close the gap left by three years of limited party mobilisation on civic issues.
Meanwhile, the protest took a symbolic turn as councillors spent Friday night inside the MC office, singing patriotic songs amid mosquito bites and rodent trouble. BJP members Vishal Gulati, Kashish Ratra, Anil Bhardwaj, Jatinder Goriyan, and others stayed overnight, with one councillor reportedly even bathing on the premises.
Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma visited the protest site on Saturday evening, praising the councillors for holding the mayor accountable. "Ludhiana is part of the Smart City Mission. It's your duty to ask how the funds are being spent," Sharma said. "The days of AAP (Aam Aadmi Party that governs Punjab and the MC house) are numbered, and they know it — that's why they are misbehaving with elected representatives.
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He urged the mayor to "rise above petty politics" and apologise to resolve the dispute. As Monday's deadline approaches, civic tensions in Punjab's industrial hub are poised to deepen.
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